Carlos Alcaraz was forced to end a training session early ahead of the ATP Finals due to a stomach issue.

According to Marca, Alcaraz called a halt to his practice session with Flavio Cobolli 20 minutes early on Friday due to stomach discomfort he had been experiencing since breakfast. The 23-year-old Spaniard, in pursuit of his first ATP Finals title in Turin, has already been spotted wearing a patellar stabilizer on his right knee, though it is not causing him any discomfort.

Alcaraz had a high-intensity practice session with world number one Alexander Zverev on Thursday and experienced no physical issues.

Carlos Alcaraz’s race to be fit ahead of his first ATP Finals match

Alcaraz will have the weekend to recover ahead of his first match at the ATP Finals, which takes place on Monday against debutant Frances Tiafoe. Alcaraz and Tiafoe are competing in the Ivan Lendl group, which also features Daniil Medvedev and home hope Cobolli.

The John McEnroe group is made up of Zverev, Rafael Jodar, Ben Shelton and Arthur Fils. Zverev, who recently claimed ATP number one status for the first time in his career after recording his best-ever season, is bidding to win the ATP Finals for the third time in his career, following triumphs in 2018 and 2021.

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Across three appearances at the prestigious indoor hard-court event, Alcaraz has yet to get his hands on the ATP Finals trophy. He reached the championship match last year but fell to his rival, Jannik Sinner, in straight sets.

With Sinner sidelined for this year’s edition, Alcaraz arguably enters the tournament as the favourite and will seek to become the first Spanish ATP Finals champion since Alex Corretja in 1998. Alcaraz’s legendary compatriot Rafael Nadal finished as the runner-up twice at the ATP Finals in 2010 and 2013, but never won the title.

Carlos Alcaraz’s head-to-head record against Frances Tiafoe

Alcaraz holds a winning record against his first ATP Finals opponent, Tiafoe, but the two have not met since 2024. They first battled at the 2021 Barcelona Open, where Alcaraz, a teenager at the time, fell in straight sets to Tiafoe.

A year later, Alcaraz earned revenge in the semifinals of the 2022 US Open, triumphing over Tiafoe in a five-set marathon en route to claiming his first of seven Grand Slam titles. Their third and most recent bout came in the third round of the 2024 Wimbledon championships, where Alcaraz won in five sets once again.

Their upcoming meeting in Turin will be just their second on hard court and their first indoors. Tiafoe is one of four ATP Finals debutants this year, along with Jodar, Cobolli and Fils.